


My Sister's Keeper

by DameoftheDark



Series: Dani Phantom [5]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: AU where danny sam and tucker are the opposite gender, F/M, Major Self Doubt, Mild Language, References to Depression, References to anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-23 01:54:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15595638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DameoftheDark/pseuds/DameoftheDark
Summary: When her first training session with Vlad goes not-so-smoothly, Dani worries that she may not be the best fit for the older gentleman. Despite the lovely meal they share and his kind words of reassurance, the poor thing still has doubts about their growing relationship. To add on to her already heavy emotional baggage, the young heroine starts to fear that her mentor might still possess romantic feelings for her mother. Enter Dr. Penelope Spectra; the new student counselor at Casper High. Her cheerful and energetic exterior lead Dani and everyone else to believe that she's the cure to their adolescent insecurities. However, once depressed and lethargic students start roaming the halls, Dani realizes something sinister is afoot. But when Spectra sinks her otherworldly claws in the uncertain youth, she amplifies Dani's fears and guilt up to 11. Will Dani be able to stop the Mistress of Melancholy before all her fellow peers are reduced to woeful shells?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not the best at depicting depression and anxiety, but I thought I'd apply some tags regarding them anyway. And once again, don't worry! Dani will be all fine and dandy by the end of her encounter with Spectra. Please enjoy!

If there was one thing Jazz Fenton was sure of, it was the absolutes of science. Of course, the girl prided herself in being certain of many things, but this wouldn’t be possible without the intrigues of many other geniuses passed, ones that paved the way for revolutionary studies of understanding the world and its many complexities. One of these studies, naturally, was psychology.

The older teen developed an interest in the subject as a child, observing the different ways people interacted with one another, as well as failing to comprehend why her parents would indulge in the flawed science of paranormal research. These two aspects pulled the inquisitive adolescent to the sophisticated---and **credible** \---field of psychology, as it helped to explain the many unknowns of the human mind.

She found child psychology to be the most fascinating, for with it, one could come to understand the multifaceted child brain, endeavoring to assist them in the grueling transition to adulthood. Jazz had, of course, offered her aid to her fellow peers at Casper High---the lost ones, anyway.

5 months ago, she was working with a rebel named Spike, who possessed feelings of neglect and suffered from the typical teen ailment: the “my parents don’t understand me” syndrome. Her progress was halted, however, when her parents had blundered onto the scene, spouting nonsense about ghosts being spotted in the vicinity.

Not long after, Jazz found her school coated in piles of various meats.

Since then, she had strived to distance herself from the lunacy of Jack and Maddie’s profession. Instead, she threw herself into her studies, anticipating the arrival of an acceptance letter from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, or Vanderbilt. She applied early---at the beginning of the school year---in hopes of getting a head start. After all, Jazz Fenton would not be labeled as a facetious woman.

 The redhead had recently attended her parents’ college reunion some weeks back, but because she wanted to focus on her ambitious pursuits, she gave the event a pass. Although she **also** wished to avoid seeing a bunch of old fossils pogo to New Wave music.

However, in the days following the reunion, Jazz noticed something regarding her younger sister. The girl had been known for her jovial, if at times, irksome behavior, but gradually she had become something of a recluse; hiding away in her room for hours at a time and zoning out when people were talking to her. In addition, Dani exhibited odd deviations in character, with one such instance occurring during dinner a week after the family’s return from Wisconsin.

Dani had barely touched her food, which was already a red flag. Many would charitably refer to her younger sister as a “glutton”, or a “big eater”. But not this night. Rather, the raven-haired youth played with her peas, stirring them around her plate with her fork. She was also abnormally quiet, and her baby blues were cast down, instead of up and alive. When Jazz attempted to get her attention, Dani merely peered through he lashes and stayed silent, as if looking right through her older sister.

A few days after this, Dani was unusually jumpy, agitated. She displayed an odd bout of conduct when Jazz stepped into her room one morning; Jazz had opened her door to let her sister know breakfast was ready, only to be met with a frantic “Don’t you ever knock?!” The door was promptly slammed in the 18-year-old’s face.

Generally, Dani would groan, or deliver a witty retort if Jazz entered her room unannounced.

This worried the older teen. Was her baby sister suffering from her own adolescent struggles of acceptance and self-discovery? Did she feel abandoned by their parents? Were her friends pressuring her into reprehensible and elicit activities? Was she getting bullied?

Actually, the last one was no secret---to all but Jack and Maddie, apparently.

But of course, like the typical teenager, Dani refused to inform an adult, using the excuse that doing so would only make matters worse.

_Honestly, why do kids think like that?_

None the less, **something** was going on with Dani, and Jazz was going to find out what. After all, she had to know if she was going to be of help.

Being a Tuesday, the redhead wasn’t expecting any liveliness from her sister anyway, considering it was only the second day of a long school week. Except, as soon as she crossed the school’s threshold, the older teen saw Dani enthusing with her friends. Her face was bright, her eyes sparkling. She was positively animated; she jumped up and down and shook her fists in excitement. Jazz also noticed that her cheeks were a quaint shade of pink.

“Have fun today, Dani! Don’t push yourself too hard,” Tucker advised.

“I will! See you guys later!” the girl chirped as she hopped unto her bike and peddled down the street.

The red head approached Sam and Tucker, her brain brimming with inquiry.

“Is Dani going somewhere?”

“Nah, shes’s just biking around the block for the fun of it,” Sam deadpanned, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows in sarcasm.

“Don’t be nasty. I’m merely asking a question,” she scolded, furrowing her brow.

“Dani’s got a thing,” Tucker began, looking like she didn’t know how to continue her sentence.

“‘A thing?’”

“…Yeah.”

_Hopeless._

“Do you know where she’s going?” Jazz questioned.

“Look, Jazz, even if we did, we wouldn’t tell you,” Sam stated firmly. “We’re Dani’s friends. We keep her secrets **from** you.”

 

*********

 

The ghost girl rode her bike up to the entrance of Mayor’s Grove. Spotting the security booth, Dani was reminded of the last time she’d come to the secluded community. Opting to avoid Hal Hughes and his less than welcoming demeanor, the half ghost turned invisible and rode right passed the gate---or rather---through it.

She turned visible again once she was out of the guard’s eyesight, snickering to herself.

_Sometimes if really pays to have ghost powers._

The teenaged heroine rode up to the familiar navy manor, butterflies swarming in her gut. Sliding off her silver bike, Dani felt her giddiness and anxiety mix into a Celtic Knot of discomfort, the emotions inducing a cramp in her abdomen. She didn’t complain at all, for she rather liked the sensation, and she had missed it terribly over the last 24 hours. Vlad had left too soon after their encounter with Sidney Poindexter, with the young heroine barely saying goodbye. The billionaire told her that he was expecting a crucial business call, so he had to head home.

She was disappointed, but now there she was---just steps away from his door, his smile, his arms.

_No! Down girl. Keep it together. You’re receiving your first real lesson in ghost powers today---don’t let your stupid feelings distract you!_

She was determined to get through her session with Vlad as normally as possible, which she already knew would be a problem. Since discovering her true feelings for the charming older man due to “The Need”, Dani was finding it harder and harder to keep her heart at bay. She didn’t want to tell him how she felt, but at the same time she was bursting at the seams, wishing for more. The half ghost heroine couldn’t help the mushy thoughts that assaulted her brain; daydreams of Vlad and her walking hand in hand in the park, desires to see a movie with him and go to the Nasty Burger afterwards, urges to throw herself into his arms with him **actually** catching her. At one point, she even imagined them twirling around in that cheesy way lovers do---with Vlad holding her in the air by her arms as she spun around his tall and elegant form.

Dani’s mind also wandered to more sinful subjects, with her face blushing like a ripe tomato every time. Every now and then, she would picture them in more intimate circumstances---Vlad’s smooth lips pressing up against hers. In these impure visions, she imaged he tasted like finely aged wine. Then, as overthinking teen minds are bound to do, she would start wondering how she tasted to him. And this one thought would take her down a rabbit hole of self-doubt and insecurity.

Having very little self-esteem to speak of, Dani would soon feel guilty for these thoughts of her and Vlad. Why would someone like him be interested in someone like her? He was way out of her league, and she knew it. Besides, he **was** older. He probably had experience with the worlds’ most attractive women; she bet they kissed better than she ever could.

_Of course, I don’t know how to kiss, so that’s kind of a forgone conclusion._

She shook her head sharply, attempting to rid herself of her jumbled thoughts. This is what she had been talking about; not letting her silly hormone induced thoughts interfere with her training session. The young heroine would be totally normal, with nary a baser instinct to be found!

Or so she hoped.

Ringing the door bell, Dani felt that Celtic Knot tighten. Quickly casting her baby blues down at the welcome mat, she mentally berated herself for her choice of attire; a low-cut pink V-neck and skinny jeans. Apparently past Dani wasn’t up to speed with future Dani.

  _Why did I choose to wear this today?! Argh, I’m utterly hopeless!_

She knew why, but that didn’t stop her from asking.

_Face it Fenton, nothing you do will get his attention. Dressing up in a border-line-sensual outfit just makes me look like a---_

_Slut._

There was that word again. She shook her head again, giving herself whiplash.

 _That’s enough! I’m not a slut, no matter what Dash and the others think. It’s not like I’m expecting anything, anyway._ _Besides, I love Vlad **despite** his wealth, not because of it. _

The lock made a clunk sound, and the doorknob turned, alerting the younger half ghost to her mentor’s presence on the other side of the door. She stiffened then; her back going ramrod straight and her shoulders squaring. Dani breathed in through her nose and released a quick breath via her mouth. The grey door opened, and the black-clad man stood with one arm behind his back.

“Good afternoon, little badger,” he greeted, smiling tenderly.

The flustered girl could only muster the syllables needed to say: “H-hey there…”

“Shall we get started?”

The ghost girl entered the house, gazing at the carpet. Vlad shut the door and led her straight to another one---directly in front of them, across the foyer. Situated under the curved stairway, it seemed to be the entrance to a basement or cellar. With a wave of his arm, the billionaire beckoned his protégé to follow, and she did so. Through the door, Dani was taken down a steep flight to steps, bringing her into a generously sized laboratory. It was reminiscent to the one he had at his castle in Wisconsin; a ghost portal at the end of the room, with tables of beakers and test tubes containing suspicious substances at the center. Adjacent to the work tables were shelves on the walls, also bearing similar bottles and jars.

“Come. Through here,” the eccentric businessman directed, placing a hand to the small of Dani’s back. As he took her through a rising metal door, she felt the heat rise in her face. Her heart beat increased, and in response the young girl shook her head once again. Luckily, Vlad hadn’t noticed.

This new room was much larger than the lab (being not only wide, but also long), granting it the ability to accommodate all the necessary training equipment; red exercise mats littered the floor, target dummies sat on the left wall, metal hoops extended from the ceiling, punching bags resided on the right wall, and a table with a remote control occupied the right corner of the room, right near the door.

“Alright, why don’t you show me what you can do.” Vlad advised, reaching for the remote.

“Sure thing, not a problem,” Dani replied, more to herself than him. She had fought beside the older man once before, but this was different. Now, he would be **assessing** her, judging her performance. The last thing she needed was to screw up in front of his watchful eye.

The billionaire pressed a button on the remote, and the hoops suddenly generated ectoplasmic fire. Metal pegs shot from the floor and walls, emitting electricity, and wooden, green ghost targets popped up in various spots in the room.

“Wow…you sure go all out, don’tcha?” the girl laughed nervously.

“I have a timer here, so I may record your time,” he affirmed, holding up a black stop watch. “My record for completing the course is 15 seconds. Let’s see how you fare.”

“Whoa whoa there, mister. This is my first time. I don’t think I can make 15 seconds.”

“Don’t worry. This is a practice run. I want to see where you are, so I can modify the training as needed,” he reassured with a smile. 

“Oh. I knew that,” Dani stated, trying to maintain her dignity.

Vlad chuckled. His little badger was just too cute.

In truth, he had been looking forward to this training session all day. He breezed through his reports and emails in order to get everything set up for Danielle’s arrival. Usually, he kept his training room in clean order, with the mats rolled up and stored in the closet and the hoops tucked away in the ceiling. But in his anticipation, he couldn’t help but arrange everything in the room for a full day of work. In fact, he was in the middle of setting up when he heard to the doorbell. His heart skipped a beat, and he fast walked to the front door, ready to receive his adorable disciple.

And adorable she was. He was quite pleased with the jeans she wore, as they accentuated her curves nicely. Although, yes, the girl was built nearly like a stick, she did possess quaint little hips that Vlad longed to touch. He was also very pleased with the way her jeans showed off her---shall we say---rear bumper?

Vlad also greatly appreciated her revealing pink top, seeing as it didn’t leave much to imagination. Since the shirt was so thin, he could make out the straps of her bra, as well as the curvature of the cups. In addition, he got a swell view of her cleavage, which made his heart tremor.

_She’s just too much. Could she have worn these things for me, perchance?_

It wasn’t likely that his vivacious little badger had chosen her clothes just to please him, but he could dream. And dream, he would.

But not now. Clearing his throat, he collected himself and calibrated the stop watch for a standard run.

“Alright, Danielle, just let me know when you’re ready,” said he.

“Gotcha.”

The ghost girl stepped forward, facing the course head on. Taking a deep breath, she went ghost---trading her vaguely sensually outfit for a form-fitting black n’ white jumpsuit with white gloves and boots.

Was this much better? Dani wasn’t sure.

She hovered off the ground, and in a matter of milliseconds, shot off into the course. Vlad started the stop watch, switching from a lovestruck simpleton into Mentor Mode.

The younger half ghost hurdled towards to the first bunch of targets and blasted them with ecto-energy. As she advanced toward the next group, she landed swift kicks and punches to the wooden ghost-shaped boards, breaking each of them into jagged halves. Then, she approached the rings of fire, sailing through them with little issue. But, as soon as she cleared the last hoop, Dani heard the sensors of the electric emitters go off.

Small red lights flashed on the pegs, and soon after bolts of electricity jetted in the ghost girl’s direction. She yiped, soaring out of the way of the first beam. When the second one came, she turned intangible, earning her a nod from the vigilant billionaire.

She stayed intangible for the remainder to the beams, and reached the third group of crash test enemies. With more confidence, she fired more energy rays, blasting them to splinters.

Nearing the end, Dani oozed self-assurance; she bore a smug grin and felt much more relaxed.

_What was I even worried about? I’ve got this! I’ve more control over my powers than I thought I did! Maybe I’ve finally got the hang of this, after all!_

Unexpectedly, she turned tangible again, which wouldn’t normally be a problem, if not for the sudden blob of ectoplasmic goo careening toward her. Crying out in surprise, the young half ghost put her arms up in a guard, which---of course---was the wrong course of action. The otherworldly mass enveloped her, and the force of its impact knocked the girl backward, sending her into one of the metal pegs, destroying it. Sparks danced out of the exposed wires of the peg.

Vlad ran over to Dani, concern written in his features.

“Danielle! Are you alright?”

The girl wiped the goo from her eyes, now able to look at her soiled jumpsuit. Embarrassment burned in her cheeks, and she found it nigh impossible to meet the older man’s gaze.

“Yeah. I’m O.K.”

“Cheese logs, you gave me a fright,” he sighed in relief, putting a hand to his chest.

“Sorry,” she murmured meekly. “For this thing, I mean.” The girl gestured to the now unusable metal peg.

“Think nothing of it, Danielle, I’m just glad you’re unharmed. I can always build another one.”

Dani rose from the neon green pile, brushing the offending muck from her person. Self-loathing erupting in her mind, she felt sick from the shame and mortification. She had one task---one---and she blew it!

_I couldn’t keep it together long enough to complete the course mistake-free! I can’t believe it! I let my guard down and lost focus! I was too cocky!_

The girl felt like kicking herself. Punching herself. Throwing herself from the nearest flight of stairs. She wasn’t picky.

There was a reason Vlad could control his powers, a reason why he was so perfect---he **focused**. He was disciplined, diligent, studious. He **always** took ghost related matters seriously, never wavering from the task at hand. Back at the reunion with Skulker, Ember’s concert, even the incident the day before, he always displayed his razor sharp focus.

 _He’s prepared for anything because he’s **trained**_ _for anything. This just proves how much more mature he is than me._

_He could never feel the same way about a flimsy child like me._

_A Child._

_He only sees me as a child, anyway._

_But, I don’t care about that!_

_Right?_

Dani promised to love Vlad forever, even if it hurt to do so. After all, she didn’t think she could stop if she wanted to. Whenever she was around him, she felt everything in the extremes, be it admiration, happiness, love, even embarrassment, shame. But loving him made her feel light at the best of times, truly blissful. If abandoning her love would take all that away, then she would gladly take the gut-wrenching anxiety and embarrassment along with it.

“Perhaps you would like to take a break?” the handsome businessman asked gently, compassion reflected in his navy orbs.

The young girl’s heart fluttered.

_Plus, how can I stop loving him when he’s **this** kind? _

“That would be good, yeah,” she responded, climbing out of the remnants of the goo.

“Did you eat while at school? If not, I can prepare something for you,” he offered.

The teenager gawked at him. “Wait, really? You’d do that?”

“Of course, Danielle. What sort of mentor would I be if I allowed my protégé to starve while under my tutelage? 

She giggled. “A pretty terrible one,” she joked.

“Quite right. And I would be remised in my duties as a host if I let my guest leave unsatisfied. I worked hard to build my reputation as a gracious host, after all. We can’t have it be sullied because of something so trivial, now can we?”

“If it’s so trivial, then why bother?” Dani asked, cocking her head and smiling.

“For you, little badger, even trivial pursuits are worth my time.” 

Dani’s smile turned dopy, so she looked at her shoes. To be near Vlad? The greatest; to have Vlad cook for her? Even better than that.

She transformed back into her human form, then followed the billionaire back through the lab, up the stairs, and into the foyer. From there, the older man beckoned his pupil down a hall on their right, taking them into an immaculate dining hall. In the center of the room sat a long farmhouse dining table; 15 silver velvet dining chairs positioned around it. Upon the table, which appeared to be made of stained teak wood, were three royal blue candelabras with glittering diamonds dangling from their thin arms. Every part of the candelabras shined as if they had been polished by God’s hand---from the base to the three sconces, each one reflected the delicate lighting in the room, courtesy of the breathtaking French Empire Crystal chandelier.

The young girl gaped at her surroundings, comparing the room to what one would find in an extravagant estate, probably owned by a stunningly handsome Lord and his elegant Lady.

Through the dining room, Dani was taken into a generously-sized kitchen, accommodated with the latest and greatest state-of-the-art appliances. The fridge, stove, dish washer, and microwave were stainless steel, with white marble countertops to compliment the expensive-looking set up. Four black velvet stools offered seating at the bar, which was attached to the counter facing the large windows. A large island with black cabinets (matching perfectly with the rest of the others in the room) sat in the middle of the kitchen, providing ample prep-space.

“Wow! This kitchen is gorgeous! It looks like it came out of a magazine!” the young heroine gushed in her enthusiasm.

The businessman man chuckled, taking delight in knowing **he** had been the one to introduce her to such luxury. He walked over to the fridge, opened it, and addressed Dani without looking at her: “So, what would you like?”

“What’s on the menu?” Dani inquired as she took a seat at one of the bar stools.

“Hmm. I could make some chicken parmesan, or minestrone soup,” Vlad suggested, leaning forward and placing a hand on his calf.

“Those sound hard to make,” the teenager commented.

“Not really. They’re fairly quick to make, actually.”

The younger half ghost watched as the bachelor pulled out a Tupperware container of herbs, scrutinized it, and set it off to the side. He seemed to be really focused, no doubt analyzing the different ingredients in his fridge and applying them to various recipes. Vlad was also, most likely, referring to a mental log of dishes and trying to decide which one would be perfect for the two of them to share; something quick but satisfying. He **was** a good host, after all. 

Dani felt the butterflies invade her stomach for what had to be the billionth time that day, generating the familiar warm feeling that spread to her heart. If anyone had told her that she would be having a meal with the man she loved in his house, she would have called them crazy---only to imagine the scene and gush about it later on. To ease her nerves, she absentmindedly fiddled with her hair, twirling a lock of it around her index finger. She also gazed at the glossed countertop.

She hoped she would be good company for him, seeing as he was an experienced, intelligent man, and she a spastic teenager. Would she be able to engage him that way he did her? Although, he **did** seem pretty interested when they conversed back at the reunion; he had studied her with attentive eyes, responding to Dani in a way that told her he’d been listening to every word.

_So that means something, right? It shows that he was actually paying attention to me, plus, he seemed genuinely interested in what we talked about. If I bored him, he wouldn’t have bothered with me. Right?_

The young heroine was also well aware that this could be her insecurities talking. Which sucked. Why couldn’t she think rationally when it came to Vlad? Why couldn’t she just accept that the man may honestly enjoy spending time with her?

 _‘Caused that’s not how the hormone-induced self-doubting brain works_.  

“How do you feel about pasta primavera, Danielle?”

“Huh?” Dani looked up to see the billionaire staring back at her, waiting for an answer. “Uh…sure?”

“Mind elsewhere, little badger?” he asked playfully.

“N-not really,” she replied a little too quickly. Endeavoring to change the subject, the ghost girl decided to address something she had been curious about for a while: “Say, why do you call me ‘little badger’?”

Vlad had taken out the necessary ingredients for the dish he was to make and grabbed a cutting board when asked this question. His heart skipped a beat.

Calmly, he responded: “Badgers are notorious for doing as they please; not letting predators intimidate them. They fight and survive, striving for the best existence possible. They’re determined and never give up.”

The ghost girl’s baby blue eyes reflected the tenderness she felt inside. In all likelihood, the businessman was just being nice---not having a personal bias whatsoever, but she would take his explanation to heart. He may have just stated what he saw, but none the less, Dani would remember these words for years to come.

She even felt her face heat up.

“You’re a seriously crazed-up frootloop, you know that?” she giggled.

This remark earned her a puzzled look from the billionaire. “A frootloop, huh?”

“I mean yeah. You don’t hesitate to say what’s on you’re mind, no matter how embarrassing it may be for the other person to hear.”

“I didn’t say anything embarrassing, did I?” he asked, turning fully to his pupil.

“It’s just---compliments are a tricky thing with girls. That’s all.”

“Ahhhhhhh,” he said with a grin. “And this makes me a ‘crazed-up frootloop’?”

“Hey, just be glad I didn’t call you ‘old’,” Dani replied lightheartedly. 

Vlad let out a bark. “I’m much obliged, Danielle.”

For the next half an hour, the young girl observed her mentor as he prepped their meal, conversing about a wide array of subjects. First, they talked about his new house, with Dani asking how he liked it. The older man affirmed his content with the place and proceeded to acknowledge the supposed “itinerary” that was planned for him. In response, the younger half ghost enthused in her giddiness; she mentioned all the places she’d like to take him, only for her mind to interpret the future outings as “dates”----which made her rather flustered. Masking her excited state, she found, wasn’t too hard, surprisingly. It also helped that Vlad had busied himself with their food.

After they discussed Amity Park, the two half ghosts talked about Dani’s schooling; her favorite subject (she didn’t have one), her grades, (which Vlad offered to help her improve, much to the younger girl’s delight), and her bullies, in which he also presented his services for, but the ghost girl shot the idea down---not that she wasn’t flattered. If he looked **that** fierce regarding what Poindexter did, she shuttered to image how frightening he would be if she admitted to him what Dash and his brood did to her. Following this, luckily, they talked about Dani’s home life, specifically her relationship with her parents. The girl had mixed feelings about this topic, for on the one hand, she was happy that Vlad showed an interest in Jack and Maddie after all these years, and she didn’t hesitate putting in a good word for them. But on the other, Dani felt awkward; Vlad still wasn’t the biggest fan of Jack, and this was pretty clear. She was also worried when the billionaire brought up Maddie, as if to divert the conversation away from Jack. He would ask: “How’s she doing?”, “What invention is she working on?”, “Does she spend most of her time working?”

Vlad’s curiosity in Maddie ignited an emotion that Dani seldom experienced---jealousy. It felt like her heart was burning from the inside out as it spread poisonous blood through her small body, in turn heating it up with spite. She began to think: _Well, why doesn’t he have **her** over here? I bet mom would be much better company than me. They definitely have more in common, since they have a history together. Plus, she’s his age, so they could get on much better, anyway. _

Her vindictive thoughts quickly turned depressing. Once again, she started having doubts about her and Vlad’s compatibility. Would her mom really be better for Vlad than her? Would she offer better conversation, seeing as they shared a past? What kind of inside jokes and memories did they possess, ones that Dani would never understand or relate to?

Then an even more alarming thought careened into her mind: _Does Vlad still have feelings for mom?_

“Food’s ready, Danielle.”

“Hu-wha?”

Looking up, Dani saw two plates of bow tie pasta with cherry tomatoes, thin sliced carrots, zucchini, and red bell peppers, garnished with basil and topped with shredded parmesan cheese. The sight of the impeccably prepared meals incited a rumble from the girl’s gut, sending a rippling sensation up her belly. The sound was loud enough for the eccentric bachelor to hear, and he laughed in response.

The ghost girl wanted to crawl into the nearest hole.

“Come. We’ll eat at the table,” he stated, taking his plate and moving to the small table adjacent to the bar. Dani hopped off her stool and meandered to her plate, licking her lips upon seeing it up close. She picked it up and followed her mentor to the table, sitting across from him once there.

“Oh, I need a fork,” she remarked.

“They’re in the drawer next to the----oh never mind, I’ll get it. I forgot to get myself one.”

The teenager remained put as Vlad pushed out of his chair and walked back into the kitchen. Standing with his front facing his pupil, the billionaire opened a drawer on his side of the bar.

“Do you cook all the time?” the younger half ghost asked, trying to distract herself from her worrying thoughts.

“Of course. How else would I eat?” he answered with a bit of snark.

“Well, do you like it? Cooking, that is.”

“It’s a fun hobby, yes. I enjoy coming up with new recipes and editing existing ones.”

“Oh, so you have to add your own flare to everything you eat?” Dani inquired playfully.

“Naturally, I only accept the best, remember?” the businessman said with a smirk.

“You’re full of yourself!” the girl laughed.

“And this is news to you?” he put forth, raising a playful eyebrow.

Vlad walked back to the table and handed Dani her fork, lightly touching her hand. They both flinched, staring at each other’s hands. His own hand hovered there, for he had not the will to move it. Her small one appeared so delicate, so fragile. The urge to grab it and caress it was overwhelming. Oh, the things he wanted to with this hand---the things he wanted **done** by this hand. The older man swallowed hard.

Dani gripped the fabric of her shirt with her fork-less appendage. As it was under the table, the enchanting bachelor had no view of it, much to the girl’s comfort. Her hold was vice-like, causing a dull ache in her fingers within seconds. Though the man had touched her before, the younger half ghost doubted she would ever get used to the sensation. Did loving a person really make one relish their touch so much?

The billionaire cleared his throat, pulling his hand back at last. He sat down and partook in his meal, with the ghost girl following suit. As they eat, the room echoed with the clinks of their forks hitting their plates, with nary a word spoken.

Naturally, in the silence Dani’s mind fell back into the darkness; she obsessed over being poor company for the kind older man, and entertained the heartbreaking thought that he might still be in love with her own mother. True, he once told her he was over her, but the teenager couldn’t help doubting this. She wanted to believe his words. She really did. But after all, Maddie was stunning, intelligent, witty, and **stunning**.

What was she?

Plain, ordinary, spastic.

On the bright side---the food was wonderful.

“So, Danielle, it may be best if you went home. It’s getting late, and I doubt your parents would appreciate you missing your curfew, again.”

“I guess…” she exhaled. “What time is it?”

Vlad consulted his wrist watch. A Rolex. _Of course_ , Dani thought.

“6:30.”

“Oh come on, I could totally stay a few more hours! Besides, don’t I need to get back to training?”

“Be that as it may, I think you should head home after we finish.”

“But why? We have so much time! And I want to learn all I can from you.”

“I know, little badger, but we’ll have plenty of time for that another day. Remember, we have another session this Thursday.”

_But I don’t want to go._

The young heroine’s expression turned desperate. “Come on, please? I promise I’ll be a good little student.”

“This isn’t about you being a ‘good little student’ or not, Danielle,” Vlad asserted calmly, betraying his slowly waning willpower.

_This is about me, and my fear of not being able to control myself for much longer._

“I will drive you back, if you like,” he offered. At least behind the wheel of a car, Vlad would have more incentive to **not** take her in his arms and kiss her feverishly. As well as other things…

“No! I wanna stay here!” the teenager declared abruptly.

“Danielle, I will hear no more of this,” he stated coldly.

“But I don’t understand. We have another few hours, so why can’t we---”

“I said **enough**. Stop acting like a child and do as you’re told!” Vlad commanded in rebuke.

The heroine’s eyes went wide, her baby blues exposing the hurt and shock she felt inside. Suddenly, her fears had been confirmed. She wasn’t any good, after all!

“I’m…I’m sorry…” she mumbled, tears licking at her eyelids.

The older half ghost’s face adopted an apprehensive expression. “Danielle…I---”

“I’ll go now, save you the trouble.”

_Of having to deal with me._

“No, Danielle, that’s not---”

Before he could stop her, Dani transformed and flew from the room, turning intangible before she hit the ceiling, phasing through it instead. Every cell in the billionaire’s body told him to go after her, to chase her down and embrace her close, promising to never let go again. He wanted to tell her he didn’t mean what he said---that he lost his temper because of **himself** , not her.

So, why was he still sitting there?

He shot up from his seat, twin black rings consuming his form and turning him into Vlad Plasmius. He sailed through the room, and once outside, caught something out of the corner of his eye---Dani’s bike was still laying on his lawn.

Guilt surged in his veins, and the older ghost soared into the twilight, agonizing over the hurt he caused his dear little badger.

_How could I be so insensitive?! How could I have upset her like that?! I promised to care for her, didn’t I? I swore to love and protect her with everything I had, but now she’s dismayed!_

He followed her ghostly presence into town and to her residence, which he assumed was hers (given the large Fenton Works sign promptly displayed on the side of the building). Jack’s doing, no doubt. Stopping just outside a second story window, she saw the young heroine transform back and jump onto her bed, her face squished into the pillows. He couldn’t tell, but it looked like she was sobbing.

The billionaire phased through her window quietly, not wishing to alert anyone to his presence. He slowly walked to Dani’s bed, before eyeing the room around him. It was decently sized; the walls painted a light blue and the floors a polished hardwood. Well, not polished recently, anyway. Astronomy posters littered the blue walls, depicting stars and planets, as well as one rather large poster illustrating the space shuttle. In addition, model rockets sat in various places in the room---on her dressers, her bedside table, her desk, and even a couple hanging from the ceiling from thin pieces of string.

Plasmius reached out for the girl who was, indeed, weeping. Remorse tugged at his heart, threatening to tear it apart. She sounded like her puppy just died, or that she had received news that her best friend had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Those beautiful baby blue eyes of hers were flowing with mournful tears, and it was all his fault. In that moment, Vlad swore he would not cause her to cry ever again.

His gloved hand gently rested on Dani’s head and he began to stroke her raven black tresses. Understandably, the girl was thoroughly startled. She launched her head up, catching her mentor’s resting gaze.

“V-vlad?” she addressed as tears rolled down her reddened cheeks.

“Danielle…” he replied in a near whisper. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

The younger half ghost blinked, resting her head on her pillow again, but this time she faced her visitor, and not the cotton of her pillowcase.

“It was never my desire to hurt you, Danielle. I hope you understand that,” he explained tenderly.

The half ghost heroine sniffled, sitting up. Vlad’s hand migrated to her cheek, and he wiped away a cascading tear with his thumb.

“Please forgive me,” he implored in a quiet tone.

The poor girl thought her heart was going to burst. The bachelor’s ghost form, which she first thought was kind of corny, seemed so enchanting to her now. The tears started to flow again, but only as a result of his cruel kindness.

“Danielle?” He sounded a little more panicked. Was she still upset?

“You followed me home, just to say that?” she asked with a timid smile.

“Of course!” he exclaimed, as if it would be ridiculous if he **hadn’t** done that.

She chuckled. “You really **are** a---”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, followed by a concerned voice that the young girl knew all to well: “Dani? Are you O.K.? I heard you crying.”

_Jazz!_

The ghost girl turned to Vlad (as she had looked to the door when her sister knocked), her eyes flashing with alarm.

“You gotta get out of here! What if Jazz sees you?”

“But Danielle---”

“Hello? Dani?”

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

“Go! Hurry!” she pleaded, rising from her bed and pushing the pompous billionaire back to the window. “I forgive you, O.K.? See? No need to hang around here anymore!” With a shove to his chest, Vlad hit the windowsill, his back to the glass.

“Alright, I’ll be going. But know this, Danielle,” he began before leaning down and whispering in his protégé’s ear. “You’re not a child to me, and I don’t intend to treat you like one.”

With that, he turned intangible and flew through the closed window, leaving the teenager flustered and wide-eyed. Her heart was pounding, and her stomach cramped from those damn butterflies. For a moment, she was worried her legs would give out, on account of them quivering so badly.

When Jazz opened the door, in fact, the girl **almost** lost her footing.  

“Dani, I’ve been calling you. Are you O.K.?”

“Yeah yeah fine, totally fine, why wouldn’t I be?” she sputtered. “What do you want?”  

“Is something wrong?” Jazz inquired with a gentle tone. “Is everything alright at school---besides Dash Baxter and the others, that is.”

“Yeah! Everything’s fine!” Dani stated bluntly as she advanced. “Would you stay out of my room?”

“Dani, I’m trying to be supportive. If anything is going on, anything at all, feel free to let me know---”

“Duly noted, now please get out!”

The half ghost shoved the door close, providing a much-needed barrier between her and her prying sister. The absolute **last** thing she needed was her finding out about Vlad---as well as all the emotional baggage he instilled.

_Oh, and our ghost powers, too._

On the other side of the door, Jazz crossed her arms. Her sister’s attitude was deeply concerning, and if not for the abruptness of her change in demeanor, the redhead would have attributed it to just hormones. But no, there was something else going on here, something that eluded the older teen. At the moment, she had not the knowledge necessary to conclude what this “something” was, but she would be damned if she let that stop her. Dani needed guidance, and Jazz Fenton would be failing in her obligations as an older sister if she abandoned Dani now. With steadfast determination, Jazz marched down the hall to her room, intending to get to the bottom of all this.      


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize, 'cause this chapter is much longer than my previous ones, but I was on a role, and determined to break my 3 chapters streak. I hope you enjoy!

_Why now?_

_Why did this have to happen now?!_

_Out of all the possible times this had to happen, it happens NOW?!_

The young teenager sat in her desk, squirming. Her heart felt like it was burning, like someone had chucked it into a raging firepit. Her skin was pink, radiating with heat as it felt akin to what a pot roast goes through before being served. The ghost girl’s breaths were ragged and shallow; she tried to take in as much air as possible, but it was as if she was breathing in **less** oxygen the harder she tried. To add to all this, the poor thing was in **agony**.

Dani bit her lip so hard she feared she’d broken the skin. Tears threatened to spill in an overwhelming cascade, but she kept them at bay by concentrating on what Mr. Lancer was saying.

Or trying to, anyway.

Today’s lesson was on the symbolisms and themes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and at the moment the out-of-shape teacher was lecturing on the importance of Shakespeare’s language, much to the discontent of the quite obviously bored classroom. He stressed the significance of the words the characters used, explaining how they conveyed the message Shakespeare was trying to send, not that anyone **really** cared. Although, according to Lancer, they would care when the upcoming test reared its ugly head.

None of this mattered to Dani, of course---she was in too much physical torture to adequately process anything at the moment. She squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to will the pain away. For some reason, “The Need” was extra bad today; it was far more demanding that it had ever been. The young heroine believed it could have something to do with her encounter with Vlad the day before. He had displayed such a sweet disposition, especially after his offhand comment when he called her a child. He went back on his outburst, saying that she was no mere child:

“ _You’re not a child to me, and I don’t intend to treat you like one_.”

His words resonated in her head for the rest of the night, and still remained there, haunting her hyperactive subconscious. She recalled the warmth of his breath in her ear---the way it tickled her skin, as well as the near sultry tone his voice took when he spoke. Given how intimate those words were, it was difficult for Dani not to interpret them in the quote unquote naughty sense; to her, it sounded like he saw her as a fully matured woman, but if this was the case, then what did **that** mean, exactly? Did he view her the way she viewed him? Did he intend to do the same things that she wanted to, even if she dared not admit to herself what those things were? Did he---or rather--- **could** he feel the same way for her?

Dani knew this was a dangerous prospect. To anticipate something so personal threatened to lead her down a treacherous path should she choose to entertain the very idea. It was no secret to the young girl that her desires for him were reaching Rated R territory, and frankly, it scared her to image the worst-case scenario; the rejection. She was falling deeper and deeper, longing for him so desperately (thanks in part to “The Need”, of course), that the thought of being shot down terrified her. The half ghost didn’t want to face the heartbreak, the earth-shattering possibility that he would discard her affections, and may even be disgusted by them. After all, just because he didn’t see her as a child, didn’t automatically mean he felt romantically toward her.

_It’s a ludicrous leap to make. Besides, why would he return my feelings? It’s not like I’m a bombshell like my mom, or as intelligent as her, in any case._

The heroine had caught herself comparing her own characteristics to her those of Maddie’s and every time she stopped herself; it didn’t do her any good to make herself feel even worse about the whole thing. Even more so **now**. She was already in enough pain as it were---no need to add anything to it.

She took in a deep breath, holding it in her chest for a bit. This only served to ignite the kindling flame that was her heart, however. As a result, she moaned in anguish.

Tucker looked over to the troubled half ghost, leaning a little closer and speaking quietly so as to not get caught by Lancer: “Hey, are you doing O.K.? You don’t look so hot.”

_Funny choice of words, Tuck._

“I-I’m fine,” Dani whispered back. “Just bored outta my mind.”

“Nah, dude, you don’t look right. Wait…is it “The Need” again?”

The half ghost’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “What? No! It’s just----it’s really warm in here!”

“Dani, the windows are open, and it’s chilly outside,” the geek pointed out.

“So Fall’s coming, so what? A girl can still be hot, you know.”

“Yeah, if she were wearing a winter coat over three layers of ugly Christmas sweaters! Dani, its obvious something’s wrong. You look like a panting dog.”

“And when do dogs pant? When they’re **hot** ,” Dani insisted.

“Hey, shut up you two! You **wanna** get in trouble?” Sam chastised from his seat.

Tucker turned over her shoulder. “Dani’s weird “ghost need” is acting up again, and she won’t admit it.”

 “Its not a ghost thing! It’s nuh-thing!” the ghost girl persisted.

Sam casted his violet orbs in Dani’s direction. Almost immediately his features were adorned with worry.

“Whoa, Dani, you look awful. You look like you’re burning up under a hot lamp.”

“Yeah, like that scene from the Spongebob Movie,” Tucker added. “Any minute now it’s like she’s gonna start sizzling.”

“And what do you mean, “it’s not a ghost thing”? Have you any other guesses?” Sam prodded.

_O.K., so I’m pretty sure it **is** a ghost thing, but I don’t know for sure! I mean, it’s about Vlad---that could mean anything. _

“We need to get you to the Nurse’s Office, right now,” the goth contended.

“No! If this was a ghost thing, then what could they do anyway? Last time I checked, Nurse Hobbs doesn’t have a degree in paranormal medicine!” Dani whisper-yelled.

“Ms. Fenton? Mr. Manson? Ms. Foley? Is there a problem?” Mr. Lancer questioned, looking over his shoulder from the blackboard.

“Actually yes, Mr. Lancer, Dani needs to---”

“No I’m good! Nothing goin’ on here!” the young half ghost claimed with a nervous laugh.

Suddenly, a shrill voice within the room chimed in: “Omigosh, she looks like she did in the cafeteria a couple days ago.”

“Missin’ you’re sugar daddy again, Fenton?” mocked another.

“Sugar what?” Mr. Lancer asked, perplexed. Then he shook his head. “Alright that’s enough. Ms. Fenton, you’re excused to go to the Nurse’s Office. It’s clear you’re not well. Just don’t forget to do tonight’s homework,” he finished sternly.

Now Dani’s face was red for a whole different reason.

“Permission to escort Dani to the Nurse’s Office?” Sam inquired, raising his hand.

Lancer sighed. “Fine.”

The goth rose from his desk and gently took his friend by the forearm. He led her from the room, with students snickering as they left.

The young heroine flinched when Sam touched her, but the rebel’s grip was iron-like. As they walked down the hall, Dani found her balance failing her again, and she leaned against Sam’s right side, breathing heavily.

“I wish we knew what was causing this.” The goth observed. “Then Tucker and I could help. I hate seeing you like this.”

“I-I know,” the young girl exhaled, her breath hitting Sam’s neck. Abruptly, his heart beat quickened in pace, instilling a warmth in his core. His pale face flushed a light pink, and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

“I-in any case, we need to get you to a bed, so you can lie down.”

“Y-yeah…that would be nice…”

The duo trekked further down the hall, and turned a couple corners, all the while remaining silent. For Sam, the experience was strange, to say the least. He had never seen his friend like this, and it truly worried him to see her suffer, and he unable to help. But there was something about her nature that inspired a sense of protection in him; Sam say how vulnerable, small, and cute she was, and he wanted to shelter her from anything that threatened her. He knew that seeing her as “cute” while in this state was definitely a questionable thing, but he couldn’t help the feelings of tenderness that careened into his mind. He actually had to fight back the urge to pull her into his arms and hold her tight.

In his haze, Sam collided into a solid but soft form. Dani bumped into it as well, causing her to let out a breathy yipe. They both nearly fell backward, but the goth’s firm footing kept them in place. When he looked up, he met the green eyes of a fetching woman with shades that rested low on her dainty noise. Her hair was fiery red, and stuck up behind her in a V shape, and it fell down the back of her neck gracefully. She was wearing a red suit jacket and matching short skirt, both of which accentuated her curves handsomely. She also wore scarlet heels, and white shirt with a black tie. One thing Sam thought odd, however, was the woman’s ears---they were slightly pointed, though, they were accessorized with gleaming amethyst earrings.

“Oh my! Are you two alright?” she asked, her voice a soothing tone.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, we didn’t see you,” Sam offered.

“That’s quite alright. I’m glad you and your friend are not harmed,” she said with a closed-eye smile.

As Dani continued to pant, Sam nodded and responded for her: “Thanks, Ms.---”

“Goodness, she doesn’t look to well, does she?” the woman observed, pointing a manicured finger at the teenager in question.

“Oh yeah---we were just on our way to the Nurse’s Office. Dani’s feeling a bit under the weather.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the sharply-dressed woman stated with sympathy. “It looks like she needs a pick-me-up, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I guess so, but that’s why we---”

“Dr. Spectra, you’re needed in the principal’s office.”

Sam looked passed the woman and saw a short man with a harsh expression walking toward them. His eyes were also green, but his hair was grey and he wore a jet black blazer and matching bow tie, paired with grey trousers, a red vest, and white button up. His loafers were also black, presenting a mysterious shine.

“Coming, Bertrand, I was just meeting my new students.”

“‘New students’?” Sam inquired curiously.

“That’s right!” she beamed. “I’m the new student counselor for this school. I hope we can become great pals.”

“Uh…yeah, me too,” the goth replied, more than a little puzzled.

Dr. Spectra eyed Dani again, looking her up and down with an inquisitive gaze. Then she grinned, and clapped her hands together.

“Well, you best be on your way, you courageous young adults. And if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always count on me!” she decreed cheerfully. Then she joined Bertrand and strolled down the hall and out of sight.

“Huh…well **that** was weird,” Sam muttered to himself.

“Ghost…”

The goth peered down to his friend. “What?”

“T-there’s a…a ghost…nearby---”

Dani’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, her eyes cloudy. Her skin was pink, unnaturally warm to the touch. Sweat drenched the candy-red t-shirt she wore, and her face was severely flushed, almost resembling the top.

“Dani!”

Her chest rose and fell quickly, alerting the goth to the ghost girl’s breathing difficulties. The black-clad boy sat on his knees and listened to her heart. The organ sounded like a steam hammer, with how rapidly it was pounding. Sam sat back up and cradled Dani’s head with his arm.

“Dani! Are you alright? Speak to me! Hey!”

 Slowly, the heroine’s baby blues closed, and within seconds she was lost to the world.

 

*********

 

The younger half ghost ran through the darkness, undeterred by its minatory aura. Light was absent from this place, this dreadful realm. No color, no life, no sound---it was truly abysmal. Dani’s legs felt like led blocks, and her chest so tight as if someone had bound it with the world’s most constrictive cloth. Her throat itched, like she hadn’t had water for days, but this was due to her own action.

“Wait! Wait for me!” she beseeched. “Wait for me!”

Far from her reach, yards away, appeared a translucent Vlad Masters, with his back to her. He too was moving---walking further and further into the gloom that surrounded them.

“Hold up! Vlad! Wait for me!”

Like hers, the billionaire’s shoes made no sound as he ambled into the black. Despite his pace, the young teenager couldn’t reach him. She stretched out a hand, straining to grasp his broad form in desperation.  

“Vlad! Wait!”

She couldn’t see his expression, but she longed to see his charming smile turn to face her, drinking her in with those navy orbs of his. He sauntered with his arms clasped behind him, reminding the young girl of his previous demeanor---when they were just strangers. Though only his back was visible, he seemed so standoffish, distant. Everything about him reeked of cold authority; the kind one would see in an unfeeling mob boss, or a lawyer. In that instance, the ghost girl thought that his gaze may very well chill the blood in her veins. So perhaps it was better if she didn’t see it?

Nonsense.

She was determined to catch up to him, no matter how severe his eyes!

“VLAD!” she cried, determination oozing from her voice.

 He did not stop, nor did he look back.

“Wait for me, Vlad!”

Suddenly, the darkness started forging a wall between them, slowly wafting behind the aloof businessman. Little by little, his body was enveloped, disappearing from the young heroine’s view.

“WAIT!”

The blackness embraced the older man, and soon he was gone.

“NO!”

The girl kept running, holding out her arm in a tearful implore. Once again, she was alone in the dark, reaching out from something she deemed unattainable.

Dani’s baby blues shot open, accompanied by a loud gasp. She scanned the space around her, realizing that she was back in the Nurse’s Office. Her small form lay on a white cot, tucked under soft sheets. The room smelled of gardenias, which served to relax the disconcerted teenager. She sat up then, glancing out the large windows to her right. Unlike the first time she was in here, Dani now sat on the other side of the room.

Sam and Tucker were nowhere to be seen, but the young heroine chalking this up to class or gym period. With a deep inhale, she rested against the headboard and crossed her arms in her lap.

_At least “The Need” is gone now. But what was up with that weird dream?_

A sinking feeling sat at the bottom of her stomach. Though she couldn’t be sure, she had a pretty good idea what inspired the strange vision.

“Hello? Ms. Fenton?”

Dani turned her head toward the door and saw the red-clad woman drift into the room. Catching her eyes, she smiled merrily as she neared the bed.

“How’re you doing, tiger?” she asked Dani, putting her hands on the bed’s footboard.

“Good, thanks…uh…do I know you?”

The woman let out a quick laugh. “I’m Dr. Penelope Spectra, the new student counselor. We bumped into each other when your kind friend Sam Manson was bringing you here.”

“Oh…sorry, I don’t really remember anything from after I left class,” the girl stated modestly. Then she shivered. She didn’t recall the windows being open, and with a quick look, she found that they were indeed closed. Dani rubbed her upper arms swiftly, suddenly feeling quite chilled.

_How ironic. Before I was on fire, and now I’m on ice._

“Mr. Manson was really worried about you. It’s good to have such reliable friends, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. He’s pretty awesome,” Dani attested.

“Tell me, Dani, is there somebody you like? Someone who’s really important to you?”

The question caught the half ghost off guard, making her tense up. Her face, in addition, mirrored that of a cornered rodent.

“W-what? Me? No, not really, not that I can think of! Why?”

Spectra chuckled. “A woman knows these things, Dani.”

The young heroine shivered again, seeing her breath as she exhaled. She felt defeated, for she knew this to be true. It sounded like something her mom or Tucker would say, and for the most part, it wasn’t wrong. With a hefty sigh, the ghost girl relaxed her shoulders.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, but it does! After all, how can you move on if you don’t acknowledge it?”

“‘Move on’?” the half ghost repeated.

“Yes, Dani, ‘move on’. It’s integral for impressionable teenagers understand that the heart wants what the heart wants, but also take into account that different hearts want different things.”

“I…I don’t understand,” the young girl stated, blinking a couple times.

“Well, it’s quite simple, really,” Spectra began, taking a seat on the cot and crossing one leg over the other. “Just because you like someone, doesn’t mean they’ll like you back. It would be great if the world worked that way, but it doesn’t, I’m afraid.”

Dani looked down. “I suppose so.” Her tone sounded dejected.

“But don’t get discouraged! So what if the person you like totally and completely ignores you and rejects your feelings? You’re the only **you** , there is! So get out there and strut your stuff!” Spectra invigorated with as much pep as a cheerleader running on 6 cups of coffee.

Dani’s eyebrows drooped, and she folded her hands in her lap. Spectra was correct, but that didn’t exactly inspire reassurance. If anything, her words lent credibility to the half ghost heroine’s dreadful assumptions. The idea that Vlad would return her affections was already a far fetched one, but now that someone said out loud what she had been thinking, it felt like it was more concrete.

“Dr. Spectra? Do you know a lot about love? What I mean is---do you know if it **really** hurts? Like, is it actually **supposed** to hurt? Physically?”

The woman grinned. “It can hurt quite a bit, Dani. Love is an all-consuming emotion; it burns your soul and takes over every aspect of your identity, and if you’re not careful---it will destroy you. And more often than not, it’s not even worth it to begin with.”

“But…but what if you don’t care about all that? What if you don’t care about the pain love can cause? What if you don’t care whether or not its worth it?”

“Well, this is where it’s get incredibly dangerous,” Spectra started, leaning closer to the young half ghost. “If you don’t care, then why should other people? Why should other people care about your well being if you don’t? Why should the **person** you love care about you if you don’t care about yourself?”

“So…if I don’t care about myself, then the person I like won’t either?” the young teenager asked, puzzled.

“Dani,” Spectra began before she put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “The likelihood that your loved one cares about you is very low in the first place. In fact, I severely doubt the person you like even thinks about you at all.”

The young heroine’s baby blues expressed the alarm she felt inside. Could Vlad really not care about her? Does he not think about her in the slightest? But hadn’t she seen it? Didn’t she see the compassion and sympathy in his eyes? Didn’t he demonstrate his care for her when he came into her room last night?

Then she realized something: _Did I just imagine it? Did I read him wrong?_

Spectra rose from the bed and offered a sweet smile. “I hope this little chat has cleared things up a bit. Come and see me in my office if you ever want to talk to me again.” Then the well-dressed woman took her leave, saw-shaying out the door with a satisfied grin painted across her face.

 Dani looked down at her lap again, a sense of melancholy building in her very core.

 

*********

 

Jazz waited outside the school’s main entrance, holding her books close to her chest. When she’d received news that her sister had been taken to the Nurse’s Office twice in one week, concern blossomed in her heart. Whatever was going on with her sister was **big** , not to mention deeply worrying. Of course, she had figured out that much, but now she understood that it was worse that she thought.

_Dani needs help, but she’s not going to go mom and dad, and I doubt she’ll open up to me. If she’s going to go to anyone, its going to be her friends._

A cold breeze danced passed, chilling the redhead’s face, making her wish she’d brought a scarf. Autumn was coming, after all. But the inevitable change in seasons was the last thing on the older teen’s mind.

As the rush of students poured out of the doors, in waves of varying heights, weights, and other such characteristics, Jazz’s aqua orbs searched for her younger sister. It was strangely easy to spot Dani in a crowd; if there was a boy dressed all in black, looking like a shadow draped over his lean form, and a girl playing with a PDA, bets were positive that Dani was nearby. The older teen craned her head to follow certain members of the teenaged mob; a nerd with a PDA, but wasn’t the correct gender, a goth that wore all black (duh) but had a mohawk, and several other contenders, but she wasn’t able to find Dani or her friends. After eyeballing the horde of hormones for 20 minutes, well after it began dispersing, Jazz figured her best bet would be back inside the building. Knowing her sister, she was most likely hanging out by her locker and conversing with Tucker and Sam about how “lame” their homework was, or something to that effect.

The 18-year-old meandered back inside and headed for the young heroine’s locker, which was right by the band room. This was, of course, on the other end of the school, but luckily Casper High wasn’t that big of a structure. As she walked, her mind jumped to the conclusion that whatever was ailing her younger sister was most likely emotional in origin---most teenagers were overcome with strange and even frightening emotions and thoughts, ones that, if not explained and explored properly, could lead to disastrous consequences. Perhaps in Dani’s case there was something happening inside her she didn’t comprehend? Maybe she was dealing with powerful urges and impulses for things that didn’t make sense? For all teens, such longings were as a result of biology---the desire to fit in, the irrational fears of judgment, sexual cravings. If none one took the time to accurately clarify these things to Dani, then it would explain her abrupt changes in behavior. Maybe she was just terribly confused? 

Jazz had been lucky to avoid such a catastrophe, however; she had been curious enough to learn about these matters on her own, while also knowing that her parents would be too preoccupied with their nonsensical pursuits to teach her. She also had the advantage of being educated in the grueling and messy teenaged matters when she was younger; she was prepared for them. But Dani was not, she was like all the other lost kids---clueless and afraid.

Navigating the worlds of adolescence and adulthood was indeed frightening, and Jazz had left her kin to deal with it all alone. Without knowing it, she had doomed her baby sister to a land of alarming and complicated emotions and fears, without so much as a hand to lead her by.

Guilt permeated her mind, causing her heart to ache. How could she had been so blind? Jazz let her intrigues get in the way of familial obligations, and it was **her sister** who was facing the consequences of it.

_I’m sorry, Dani. I promise to help you now, no matter how bad the problem has gotten! I just hope she knows that I’m here for her. I’m sure if I explain it all to her, she’ll understand._

Jazz turned a corner and jogged down the hall, resolution in her step. As she neared the band room, she heard a couple voices conversing. Slowing to a tip-toe, she closed in on a wall and leaned against it. This wall created another fork in the hallway, and Jazz knew that on the other side, further down the connecting hall, was the band room.

“It made a lot of sense at the time, but now I’m not so sure,” Dani’s voiced admitted.

_Dani!_

But the older teenager didn’t recognize the other voice---it sounded nasally: “Well, did this ‘Dr. Spectra’ elaborate?”

“She did, but now that I think about it, her points didn’t really connect. She just seemed to **jump** , know what I mean?” 

“I’m afraid not, Dolly,” the foreign voice said sympathetically.

_Who’s Dani taking to? And why did he call her “dolly”?_

“I mean she just kinda---you know---hopped from point to point. But what she said made **some** sense…I’m just don’t know anymore.”

_I knew it! Dani’s confused about the usual tribulations of being a teenager!_

Eager to assist her sister, Jazz turned to corner and saw the young girl sitting on the floor with her back against the lower lockers. Her knees with pulled into her chest with her chin resting on them, looking quite downtrodden. Across from Dani’s morose form was a boy that appeared to hover in the air…and was **completely** transparent.

The older teen stopped in her tracks.

Both Dani and the boy looked in her direction.

No one said a word for quite some time.

Finally, after what felt like **hours** , Jazz’s shocked face was able to muster the syllables needed for a simple sentence: “G-g-g-g-ghost?!”

“No! Jazz, this isn’t what it looks like!” Dani cried as she shot up from her spot on the floor.

_Why did she have to barge on me now?! O.K. so maybe the school’s hall isn’t the best place to have a serious discussion with your new ghost friend, but STILL!!!!_

_How is this possible?! Ghosts aren’t supposed to exist! They’re just a figment of gullible minds and overly-embarrassing parents! They aren’t real---they **can’t** be real! _

“Uh…I should probably cut out,” the floating boy stated, gesturing to locker 724 with his thumb.

“No wait! You don’t need to---Jazz! What’re you doing here anyway---Hold on, Sidney, we can talk later,” the ghost girl sputtered as she looked back and forth between the ghostly dweeb and her sister.

“Good luck, halfa,” he offered sincerely before flying into her locker; back into his mirror. When he did so, a green light shone from the open locker, alarming the redhead even more.

“What was that?? What just happened??”  

“He left, O.K. Jazz? That’s all,” Dani enlightened curtly, irritation and apprehension mixed in her tone. Then the younger half ghost slammed her locker door shut, emitting a harsh clang that echoed in the empty hallway. What was she going to tell her? Would she admit that in fact, yes, ghosts were real? Would she have to explain to her about the Ghost Zone, as well as all the ghosts she personally knew of? Would she have to confess that she had ghost powers, or did Jazz not catch Sidney’s “halfa” comment?

“W-w-who was that, and why did he call you ‘halfa’?”

_Well crap._

Maybe Jack or Maddie had a Forget-Me potion in the lab she could use?

“It’s nothing, Jazz, just let it go,” Dani responded with great insistence.

“How can I just let it go?! I’m faced with the impossible reality that ghosts actually exist---and **you** were talking to one---and you just want me to forget about it?” 

She made a fair argument.

“Jazz, look, it’s complicated, O.K.? It’s hard to explain.”

“No kidding!” the older teen agreed. “Everything I have ever learned tells me that this can’t be real! None of it! And yet, here it is!”

Dani sighed. This was going to be a long bus ride home. But she could see the utter derailment taking place in her older sister’s brain. Her entire reality has collapsed in the span of 2 minutes, and at this moment, her face reminded the young heroine of a person who just found out they were living a lie. It would be wrong not to take pity on the poor thing, being as lost and confused as she was.

“O.K. listen; ghosts are real---I’m sure you’ve discovered that by now---but this isn’t the end of the world. So what if you were wrong? Doesn’t prove anything.”

The redhead took a minute to collect herself. “You’re right. Being wrong on one thing doesn’t discredit everything I’ve studied.”

“Exactly! It just means that mom and dad were right…and you---well, weren’t,” the young girl proclaimed.

“Wow…that’s a scary thing,” Jazz noted calmly.

“Yeah, image **my** surprise when I found out.”

The older teen cocked her head to the side. “That brings me to my next question: how **did** you find out about ghosts?”

_Oh boy._

“Well…” the young girl trailed off. Would she tell her the truth? **Should** she tell her the truth? She lied to her parents time and time again about where her odd bruises came from, and why she was breaking curfew every other day. And it didn’t hurt her feelings none, but somehow, this was different. Jazz’s whole world has just been turned upside down, so the least the 18-year-old deserved was a proper explanation. After all, Dani knew better than anyone how it felt to have their world turn on it’s head.

The young heroine took in a very deep breath and let it out via a lip flutter.

“You remember when mom and dad were trying to get their ghost portal to work 6 months ago?”

“Yeah?”

“Well…you know how it turned out to be a success, despite the fact that neither mom or dad worked on it for a few days because they thought it was a total failure?”

“Yeah?” Jazz drew out the word in growing impatience.

“Well…I was the one who got it to work…but not without experiencing something…otherworldly.”

“Get to the point, Dani.”

“O.K. the thick and thin of it is,” she began, before taking another deep breath (which was due to her increasing anxiety). “I went inside the portal to see why is wasn’t working, and I must have pressed the right button because the next thing I knew I was blasted with ecto-energy---which is the stuff that makes up the Ghost Zone---which is the place where all ghost come from---but **anyway** I was hit with it and the next thing I knew I was…different.”

“Different…how?” the redhead asked in growing concern.

“After I woke up, I found that I had…uh…ghost powers…”

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. This whole thing seemed inconceivable to Jazz; utterly implausible. First, she was forced to accept that otherworldly specters roamed the earth, and now her sister was telling her that **she** was part otherworldly specter? It just couldn’t be real…none of this could be real!

“Don’t believe me? Then how’s this for proof?”

Twin white rings appeared around Dani’s midsection, consuming her body until her hair turned snow white, her eyes neon green, and her t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers into a black n’ white jumpsuit with white boots and gloves. Then the young ghost girl levitated off the ground, hovering just a few inches above it.

“See? I’m half ghost. That’s why Sidney called my ‘halfa’. It’s kinda my nickname in the Ghost Zone, although I didn’t know about it until he told me the other day.”

Jazz’s jaw had practically dropped to the floor; she seemed to be imitating a gaping fish while her eyes were wide as dinner plates. But all at once, **every---single---thing** made absolute sense.

Gathering herself for the second time that day, Jazz cleared her throat and addressed her now floating sister: “And…this has been going on for 6 months?”

“Uh yup,” Dani replied bluntly.

“Ah ha…and do mom and dad know? No. stupid question---of course they don’t. And I get why you didn’t tell me. Geez, everything makes so much more sense now! And here I was, thinking you were acting so strange because you were a confused teenager!”

“Well, I **am** a confused teenager, but I guess that’s beside the point now.”

Jazz sighed, feeling all her bewilderment fade away with her breath. “Thanks for telling me, Dani. I know you didn’t have to do that.”

“Well how else was I going to explain how I knew? Besides, I didn’t want to lie. It didn’t seem right.”

Jazz offered a warm smile. She had finally gotten her sister to open up to her. Albeit, it took her whole world flipping on it’s head to do it, but she called it a victory in her book, but not just for her; he hoped that this helped strengthen their relationship for the **both** of them.

“So, I have to ask: who was that you were talking to earlier?”

“Sidney Poindexter. He’s a friend. I met him the other day when he mistook me for a heartless bully.”

Perplexity adorned the older teen’s features. “What?”

“Long story.”

“I guess you’ll just have to tell me some time,” Jazz concluded with a smirk.

“Yeah, like I’d tell a nosy busybody like you,” Dani retorted back, grinning.

“But in all serious, Dani,” the redhead began, her smirk giving way to another smile. “I hope this means you’ll talk to me. I’m here for you, and I want you to know that if you ever need someone to lean on or vent to, I’m in your corner.”

Now it was the ghost girl’s turn to adopt a tender smile. “Thanks Jazz, I’ll keep that in mind.” Was she ever going to tell Jazz about Vlad? Probably not. Heck, the only reason **Poindexter** knew was because he figured it out. She may tell her about him being part ghost thought; it all depended on how she handled all this new information. But Dani knew one thing was certain---she never should have cut Jazz out of the loop like she did. In the end, they were family, and family looked out for each other.

“Hey, I wasn’t going to take the bus,” the half ghost heroine confessed, her tone making it sound like she was alluding to something.

“Oh yeah?”

“I don’t like it. You don’t like it.”

“This is very true.”

“Would you like to go home with me, **not** on the bus?”

The younger teen offered her gloved-hand to her sister, who, after a couple seconds, took it.

“I would **love** to, Dani.”    

 

********

 

“No way! You told Jazz?” Sam asked, astonished.

“I had a feeling she would one of these days; the girl’s a genius, she would have figured it out at some point anyway,” Tucker established.

The trio were hanging out in Dani’s room, working on their homework. They had tedious math worksheets to slave through, biology labs to record, and passages from Hamlet to analyze before calling it a day, so they declined Maddie’s invitation to dinner and settled for Cheetos and sprite instead. Not the healthiest of meals, but they were overworked teenagers with a lot on their plates as it was.

The young heroine was laying across her bed on her stomach, her books and notebooks in front of her. Sam sat at the ghost girl’s desk and Tucker on the floor, her back to the door. Naturally, as teens are expected to do, the three friends ended up doing more talking than working, despite their previously studious intentions.

“I didn’t know what else to do. She **saw** me and Sidney talking, and everything just kinda fell apart. Jazz looked like her whole live had changed, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a flattering look on her.”

“Still, to go into the meat of it----that was pretty major, Dani,” Sam pointed out.

“Not to mention revealing your powers to her like that. Wish I was there to see it!” Tucker exclaimed with a wide smile.

“It **was** kinda funny,” Dani recalled, smiling herself. “But like I said, I didn’t have any alternatives, but even if I had, it didn’t feel right lying to her.”

“O.K., but let me get one thing straight,” Sam began, pointing his purple mechanical pencil at the young half ghost. “Jazz is **not** coming on patrol with us.”  

“Why not? I think she’d make a great addition to the team----wow…couldn’t get through that with a straight face.” Tucker said as another wide smile worked its way into her features. “I mean, can you image? Jazz fighting ghosts? I know what I said earlier, but when it comes to the supernatural, your sister’s as lost as a cheerleader in Hot Topic.”

“That’s my store, right there,” the goth muttered to himself. “Hey, could we go tomorrow?”

“Sorry, can’t Sam. I have my second training session with Vlad,” Dani reminded, feeling the warm fuzzies clog her stomach, causing her to sit up.

“You know, as odd as this’ll inevitably sound, I kinda like Hot Topic,” the computer geek commented. “It’s dark, but not **too** dark, and the staff are always nice.”

“It’s every Tuesday and Thursday, right?” Sam inquired.

“Yup. After school.”

“You never told us how yesterday went,” he stated. “Did everything go alright?”

The young heroine nervously rubbed the back of her neck, her heartbeat spiking.

“Uh…it was good! Vlad had me run through an obstacle course to see where I’m at, which I totally nailed, by the way---well, except for the blob of green goo, but---details.”

“‘Blob of green goo’?” Tucker asked while raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Sounds like it went well,” Sam concluded.

_Sure, if you don’t count my childish outburst that sent me home. Although, Vlad **did** come to cheer me up, so hey---silver lining. _

Tucker consulted the science text book sitting on her lap, furrowing her brow in contemplation.

“We should get back to it, guys. It’s already 7 o’clock.”

“Yes, lets!” Dani concurred.

The trio filled out their bio reports, and swiftly turned to their math homework, solving for “x” and other ridiculous variables well into the evening. Formulas and equations swan around in their heads, overshadowing anything else they could possibly be thinking about; even Dani. Many times during their work, the ghost girl would ask for help from her friends, which, yes, slowed them done, but they were happy to assist.

By the time 9:30 rolled around, the three friends had finally finished the Pan’s Labyrinth of high school math assignments and were able to move on to their English homework. Unfortunately for Sam and Tucker, they too had a 10 o’clock curfew.

Tucker eyeballed her PDA on the floor next to her hip, and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.

“Hey Dani, me n’ Sam are gonna havta be going soon.”

“What? It can’t be that late already,” the young half ghost said in disbelief. A quick glance at her alarm clock told her otherwise, though.

“Maybe we can spend the night. I’ll have to call my parents to see if it’s O.K.,” Sam offered.

“Yeah! That’s a brilliant idea!” Tucker praised. “And I love your mom’s morning hot chocolate!”

“She only does that in the winter---for Christmas,” Dani clarified.

The goth pulled out his cellphone and dialed his home phone number. As he waited for his folks to pick up, he looked at the half ghost heroine.

“It should be fine with your parents, right?”

“Oh yeah. They don’t mind.”

“Cool! Imma get my sleeping bag!” Tucker exclaimed with a toothy smile. She bolted for the closet and rifled through it, tossing several articles of Dani’s clothing out of the way. After a few seconds, she pulled out a rolled-up olive green sleeping bag, and held it up like it was the lost key to Atlantis.

“Since when do you keep a spare sleeping bag at Dani’s house?” Sam asked in bewilderment.

“I don’t. I left it here the last time we slept over,” the computer geek enlightened.

“That was 2 months ago,” the goth added, raising an eyebrow.

“So? Past me is quite thoughtful, wouldn’t you agree?”

Sam was about to respond when he heard his mother’s voice on the other end. Spinning Dani’s desk chair around, he addressed his stuffy parental figure without having either friends’ eyes on him.

Tucker strolled back to her spot on the floor. With a flick of her wrists, the sleeping bag unfurled and came to lay flat on the hardwood.

“This way, we can continue to work on Lancer’s stupid homework assignment together. I mean really, who cares about some dude named ‘Hamlet’? It sounds way to close to ‘Omlette’.”

Dani giggled. “You’re telling me. It makes me think of ham.”

“Green Eggs and Hamlet!”

The girls burst out laughing, warranting a suspicious glance from the goth. He put his hand on the receiver and blinked a few times in annoyance. After a moment or two, he went back to talking to his mother, as Tucker and Dani cackled away in the background.

 

********

 

The moon was high in the oxford blue sky, casting a pale light into the young heroine’s room. This light complimented the blue paint well, as it served to lighten up the wall directly across from the window. The remainder to the space was set in black, however, blanketing the trio in a deep but nonthreatening darkness. The rest of Amity Park was bathed in this moonlight too, as well as the comfortable blackness that accompanied it.  Even children who were afraid of the dark were unaffected by the one this night; for this darkness did not contain nightmares; it was a still presence, absent of moving shadows. It seemed as though the ghosts were also worn out from a long day, and resigned themselves for a restful night’s sleep.

Dani **had** planned on going on patrol, but she, Tucker, and Sam found themselves exhausted from their mental labors, and craved the sweet release of sleep as well. Not long after the clock struck 11, the teenagers put themselves to bed, with Dani, of course, in hers and Tucker and Sam on the floor---the computer geek was kind enough to share her sleeping bag with the goth, feeling quite fortunate that it was a large enough size. The ghost girl couldn’t help but tease them for a bit, inspiring sarcastic retorts from Tucker and a flustered form of rebuke from Sam, who thought to himself how much he would prefer sharing a sleeping bag with the young heroine.

Nevertheless, the group of friends now lay fast asleep, dreaming of fanciful things. Tucker was imagining herself in an endless valley of steaks, ribs, pork chops, chicken legs, smoked sausages, and BACON. Sam dreamt he was attending the greatest “geeks and freaks” event in the entire world---Circus Gothica; with its macabre performers and mythical attractions. The young heroine, however, was having quite the troubling dream. Once again, she was thrust into the same dreadful vision, with her casing her mentor into a great gloom.

Then, by the window, a creeping black mist drifted into the room through the glass. Soundless in its movements, it slithered undisturbed across the cold hardwood floor, reaching Dani’s bedside in seconds. Suddenly, a humanoid shape manifested out of the mist, with unsettling red eyes and a long black tail in place of legs. The figure flashed a toothy grin that spread ear to ear, and deliberately placed a dainty black hand to the ghost girl’s forehead. Gradually, Dani’s features were decorated with stress and she started to mutter. Though inaudible, the ramblings were obviously apprehensive. Her hands clenched into tight fists, gripping her pink comforter in a hold that could strangle Skulker.

The spectral intruder chuckled darkly, and after several more minutes, took its leave, wafting through the window from whence it came. The young girl, however, remained quite distressed. For the rest of the night, she was confronted with nightmares that only her greatest doubts could have concocted: Dani witnessed Vlad embrace Maddie, keeping her in an imitate hold. The teenager ran desperately as she tried to catch up, only to see them turn their backs to her and disappear into the overbearing darkness. Tears soaked her face, and the next morning she rose to discover that she replicated her dream self’s despair.  

 

*********

 

As one would expect, countless students trekked through Casper High’s halls, making their way to their next classes. Although, something was very different in the high school’s student body---everyone was sluggish and appeared crestfallen. Girls that embodied enthusiasm and guys that oozed with confidence were anxious, depressed, even **grey** ; their features were lifeless, with many of the girls not even wearing makeup.

Which was, definitely, a warning sign.

They trudged down the hallways, slothful in their actions. Valerie Gray stood at her locker, blinking slowly as she reached for her notebooks. Next to her, Star held a hand mirror to her face, scanning her youthful skin for flaws and blemishes. She groaned, sounding like she was just kicked in the stomach. As Sam, Tucker, and Dani walked up, they heard the blonde cheerleader lament about her aging appearance, with Valerie worrying about her father’s employment at Axion Labs.

Further in the building, the trio came across Paulina and a group of popular girls comparing the glossy textures of their hair, stressing over how quickly it will fade if they don’t apply the necessary products in time. Paulina’s eyes, which were normally radiant, sat listless in her skull.

Then Dash and Kwan walked by, mourning the eventual loss of their high school careers and nerd-wailing days. Sure, this was an inevitability, but the egotistical jocks never usually wasted their breath on matters of the future. They were too small minded.

The rebel’s violet orbs followed the jocks, and craned his head as they ambled down the hall in the opposite direction. Once they were out of view, Sam looked at his friends, bewilderment evident in his features.

“What’s going on here? I’m supposed to be the brooding one, not Paulina and Dash and their ilk.”

“Beats me,” Tucker said shrugging. “Looks like everyone’s come down with a case of serious-dark-cloud-syndrome.”

The young half ghost looked up, observing her fellow peers. Sam and Tucker were right; something strange was going to here. But there was a part of her that couldn’t concentrate on the weird phenomena before her. Like the rest of the students at Casper High, the young girl found herself preoccupied with melancholy thoughts. She actually found it ironic, how every face she saw seemed to perfectly reflect what she was feeling inside. Her heart felt heavy, as if weighed down by a pooling sadness. Like the computer geek assessed, it seemed like a dark cloud hovered over Dani, relentless in its prevailing pessimism. All morning, the young teenager tried to shake off these feelings, but no matter what she did or thought about, her mind would return to her most frightful thoughts, without fail. She couldn’t get last night’s dream out of her head, and was slowly becoming more convinced that it was a sign; some higher power trying to tell her to give up in Vlad.

_He’s too old for me, anyway. It was never going to be._

_I didn’t expect anything to happen, and it’s not like I pictured myself as “good enough”._

_He probably still likes mom…but didn’t he tell me he didn’t?_

_What if he was just being nice? Maybe he didn’t want to weird me out._

_Why wouldn’t he still like mom? She’s an amazing woman, and much prettier than me._

_But I thought I didn’t care about Vlad not returning my feelings?_

_I don’t._

_Right?_

_Why do I care whether or not he likes my mom?_

_Just because he has sympathy with her, is the same age, shares a past…_

_…_

_…_

_It would make sense if he did._

_Vlad’s a logical person._

_He doesn’t do anything that doesn’t make sense._

_Mom loves dad, so its not like their gonna get a divorce._

_But that wouldn’t stop someone from **feeling**. _

_…_

_…_

_…_

_I HATE THIS._

Confusion and sadness invaded Dani’s brain, forcing out everything else. It became virtually impossible to humor any other thought; her perplexity dominated her previously held certainties regarding the charming billionaire, as well as common, mundane thoughts every teenager has. Homework, social life, test anxieties, studying, even her ghost powers were left on the back burner. Meanwhile, her preconceived notions about Vlad’s character came into question---why did he act as nice as he did? Did he **truly** care for her, or was he just looking out for a fellow half ghost? Did he care about her at all? Did he think about her at all?

Dani felt like a broken record.

“Hey Dani, hello?” Sam asked, snapping his fingers in front of the young heroine’s face. Apparently, he’d been trying to get her attention.

“Huh?”

The goth pointed to the intercom, where a Principal Ishiyama’s voice emanated.

“ _Danielle Fenton, report to Dr. Spectra’s Office. Danielle Fenton, report to Dr. Spectra’s Office._ ”

“Looks you have an appointment with the resident shrink,” Tucker observed.

“She’s not a ‘shrink’, Tucker, she’s a counselor,” the ghost girl corrected. “I wonder what she wants? I didn’t schedule any time with her.”

“Maybe its routine,” Sam noted. “She could be asking to see everybody.”

“I think **some of us** really need it,” the computer geek proclaimed, looking at the other dejected adolescents.

“I guess. Can’t hurt to go,” Dani surmised.

Splitting from her friends, the younger half ghost trekked to Spectra’s office, all the while revisiting those damn depressing judgements. It was second nature, at this point, thinking about Vlad in such a way. She was used to thinking about him in a brighter, more carefree way (relatively), but now when she thought of him, all that came were feelings of dread and heart ache. She remembered her promise; to love him no matter the suffering, but now she was re-evaluating her decision.

Walking up to Spectra’s door, she noted a chair sitting just to the left, with a sign hanging over it that said “Happy Chair” in cheerful rainbow font. What was this? Daycare?

Dani opened the door and stepped in, seeing the red-clad woman and Bertrand conversing. They stopped upon her entry.

“Dani, hello! I’m so glad you came!” Spectra exclaimed while clasping her hands together.

“Yup, here I am,” the girl replied with a meek smile.

“Off with you now, Bertrand. Dani and I need to talk---woman to woman.”

The stout man sniffed, and departed, making a show of staring at the young girl as he left. Dani, naturally, felt puzzled.

“He doesn’t like me much, does he?”

“Oh, he acts like that with everyone! Come, come! Have a seat,” she invited, gesturing to the grey chair in front of her desk.

Doing as she was instructed, the young girl sat down, suddenly feeling incredibly apprehensive. The temperature in the room had to be 10 degrees less than the hall, because she found herself shivering. Glancing at the thermostat, it read: 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Do you always keep it cold in here?” she asked while hugging herself.

“I find that lower temperatures really invigorate the mind, and wake up the body,” Spectra responded as she took a seat behind her desk, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. “So Dani, how have things been? I hope our chat yesterday helped you understand some very crucial points.”

“Actually, I’m even more confused,” the ghost girl admitted, looked away from the well-dressed woman. “Maybe it’s just me, but what you said yesterday made little sense. Like, when you said that the person I like may not like me back if I don’t like myself. That isn’t necessarily true, right?”

“Well, Dani, maybe I wasn’t too clear on that. Confidence is infectious---if you’re around someone who’s confident, chances are you’ll begin to feel it yourself. But if you’re not sure of yourself, then neither are other people. Have you ever heard the saying: ‘You can’t love someone until you love yourself’?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s the point I was trying to make,” Spectra explained, removing her shades and placing them on the desk, next to her mug.

“But---”

“‘But what if you don’t believe in that idea’, right?” she interrupted.

“Yeah…”

“You can believe in whatever you wish, Dani, I’m not going to tell you you have to subscribe to my philosophy. But, one thing I will tell you; you shouldn’t keep your head in the clouds. Sooner are later, you’ll crash back down to earth, and you’ll have no one else but yourself to blame.”

“What do you mean?”

“Honey,” she began, sympathy lacing her words. “I know the one you like is unattainable---it’s written all over your face.”

Panic flooded the young heroine’s veins, heating her blood and causing her heart to pound.

“I-it is?!”

“Yup. ‘fraid so.”

Had she been **that** obvious? Is that how Dash and Kwan were able to determine Vlad was older than her? Did they know **before** they saw his text on her phone?

“It’s not good to reveal such critical things, Dani, especially if they’re dubious, even erroneous in nature.”

“E-erroneous?” the half ghost inquired, not liking the sound of the word.

“Wrong, Dani. Wrong.”   

_Wrong?_

Was her love wrong? Was it wrong because she wasn’t good enough? Was it wrong because she wasn’t as attractive, clever, or as old as woman Vlad’s age? Was it wrong to try to get his attention in subtle ways because of these things? Was it all wrong because she was a----

“Slut?” Dani whimpered out loud.

“I’m sorry?” Spectra asked, puzzled.

“Is it because I’m a slut after all? Am I a slut? Is that why I have “The Need”?” the heroine pestered, tears forming in her baby blues.

“‘The Need’?” the woman repeated before a moment of clarity flashed in her eyes. “Oh I see! You’re referring to a physical reaction you experience when not around the one you’re longing for.”

“Yes!” the young girl exclaimed with a troubled expression.

“It is quite an **interesting** phenomena, to be sure,” the woman noted to herself. “I’ve never seen it in a case like **yours** before.”

“What does that mean?” Dani’s shivers intensified as she asked the question.

“Dani, what you call ‘The Need’ is a serious thing, and your case is very special. In fact, I doubt another one like this exists.”

“Well, what does **that** mean?” the young heroine prodded, nearing hysteria.

 “It means that there isn’t another one like it; there isn’t another one like **you**.”

_Am I alone?_

Was she completely alone in this? Was their truly not another person going through what she was? Was she the only person on earth who had “The Need”? Could no one else understand?

“Does that mean…Am I a slut after all?” she asked, feeling her prior agitation drain from her now tired body.

“Well, I don’t really see how the two relate,” Spectra said while rising from her seat. She walked over to the shuddering girl, who suddenly looked so small. Once she was behind her, she placed her hand on Dani’s shoulder, causing the girl to flinch.  “You only are what you believe you are.”

The young heroine’s tears fell down her cheeks, chilled from the cold of the room. She bawled into her hands, which offered little comfort (as they too were quite cold). Though Spectra had been vague, Dani believed she had the answers---and they were the ones she **didn’t** want to hear.

Regardless, people seldom want to hear the truth.

It hurts too much.

For the next 5 minutes, Dani sobbed uncontrollably, with the red-clad woman’s firm hand on her trembling shoulder. All the while, smirking like the cat that got the cream.

 

*********

 

Jazz exited the cafeteria, fully loaded up on studying fuel, and made her way to the library. Since 6th period was her free period, she chose to spend it wisely---unlike the majority of her fellow seniors.

As she walked by the band room, she stopped. Looking to her left, she eyed her sister’s locker; locker 724. After her world turned upside down the day before, she did a little research on Sidney Poindexter, and what she found upset her deeply. The boy was terribly bullied, so much so that he cursed his school, threatening to torment anyone he deemed to be a “bully”. Suddenly, the incident where that jock fell down the stairs made much more sense to the redhead. From the looks of it though, Dani had appeased Poindexter’s spirit, and now he was haunting the living no longer.

The older teen stepped over to the locker and, feeling slightly foolish, gave a short wave.

“Hello…ghost….”

_Honestly Jazz, do you really expect a reply?_

“I have a name, you know.”

Jazz screamed, turning around to find the source of the voice. Floating in front of her was the boy himself in all his glory, though he looked quite confounded.

“Oh…sorry…” the 18-year-old responded.

“Don’t be afraid of me! I’m not going to hurt you,” Poindexter explained, putting his hands up.

“I know…sorry, I’m just not used to this---talking to ghosts.”

“We’re just like regular people---just not…human.”

Jazz chuckled a little. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“So, what’re you doing in front of Dani’s locker?” the ghostly dweeb asked sincerely.

“I was planned on going to the library, but Dani’s locker is on the way, so I thought---I don’t know---that I’d try to talk to you.”

“Little ol’ me?” the ghost inquired, seemingly very flattered.

“Well, yeah. I mean, you’re the first ghost I saw. I don’t know, I guess I wanted to learn more about you **as** a ghost.”

“Well, that’s just swell!” he exclaimed merrily, swinging his arm up and making a fist. “I’ll be glad to satisfy all your ghost-related curiosities.”

“Thanks Mr. Poindexter,” Jazz said, releasing the tension in her shoulders.

“Please, Mr. Poindexter was my father; call me Sidney!” he chirped.

“Alright then,” the older teenager acquiesced with a quaint smile.

Abruptly, the ghostly dweeb adopted a serious expression and then shot his head to the right, looking down the hall.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s in distress,” he stated, pushing his round spectacles up the bridge of this nose.

Without another second, he soared down the hall, Jazz in tow. Poindexter rocketed passed classrooms, lockers, water fountains, until he reached a custodian’s closet. He slowed to a halt, hovering inches from the door. The racked sobs he heard tore at his ectoplasmic make-up (seeing as ghosts don’t possess hearts), causing his features to accommodate a downtrodden expression. As Jazz neared, she too perceived the heart wrenching sobs. Whoever was crying on the other side of that door had to be dealing with something soul crushing.

Poindexter leaned in, listening to the quivering voice.

All at once, his eyes widened in shock.

“Dani?”

“What?” Jazz asked.

_Is that Dani??_

Poindexter phased his hand through the door, turning the entire thing intangible. Sitting curled up in an upright fetal position was the young heroine, her head resting on her knees.

“Dani?” Jazz addressed gently. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

The girl looked up, seeing her sister and new ghostly friend. Her baby blues were glistening with tears and her cheeks were damp.

“Go away!” she spat.

“Dani, what’s going on? Did one of those bullies hurt you again?” Poindexter asked, a sense of protect taking over his ethereal form.

“I said go away!”

Jazz and the ghostly dweeb looked at one another. Acting out in such a way was not in the half ghost’s nature---and they both knew it. She was strong, enduring, determined. But this, this wailing lump wasn’t the Dani they knew at all. Something was very, very, **very** wrong here.

“Dani, confide in us; tell us what happened,” the redhead implored calmly.

“Dani? Are you alright?” a voiced called from a distance.

The two looked down the hall and witnessed Sam advancing fast, followed quickly by Tucker. When they reached the custodian’s closet, the goth and the computer geek personified concern and care.

“What’s going on?” the goth persisted. “What happened?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Jazz enlightened.

“Whoa…anyone else seeing the floating nerd?” Tucker wondered, gazing at the ghost in question.

“Not now, Tucker,” Sam lectured.

“I’m Sidney Poindexter---Dani’s friend,” he clarified. “But I’m hardly the most crucial element, here.”

The party of four observed the heroine, who promptly went back to weeping. She hated having all these eyes on her, judging her. She knew they were; probably mocking her for being such a pathetic little tramp. After all, she **was** a pathetic little tramp, trying to impress a man far out of her league. If only she looked a bit more like Maddie, or even Jazz. Would he notice her then?

_I’m worthless, pathetic, stupid! I’m nothing but a childish slut who can’t control her baser urges! No wonder Vlad wants nothing to do with me!_

“Dani, girl, talk to us! That’s what we’re here for!” Tucker pled.

“Please…just…leave me alone,” she mumbled, seemingly terrified, but with hints of sorrow.

“No, we’re not going anywhere,” Jazz affirmed. “Even if you don’t want to say, we’ll always be here for you, Dani. Nothing is going to change that.”

Suddenly, a monstrous green hornet loomed over the group, casting a dark shadow over them, as well as the hall. Turning their heads, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and Poindexter stared wide eyed as acidic green liquid dripped from the creature’s mandibles. It buzzed, but the sound was more akin to a lawn mower. Its antenna twitched, and its large black eyes locked onto the teenagers. Dani’s ghost sense had gone off when the horror appeared, and she looked up leisurely, finally feeling the gravity of the situation when she laid eyes on it.

Jazz and Tucker shrieked, and Sam dove to protect them, but was quickly disposed of when the hornet used its long and gangly leg to knock him out the way, whacking him directly in the face. Th goth flew across the hall, and slammed into the base of a water fountain, slipping into unconsciousness.

“Sam!” Tucker screamed.

The big bug flew in closer, it’s acid saturating the floor, burning it. Poindexter glared daggers and then pulled his arms back, forming tight fists.

“Don’t worry, dear friends! I’ll handle this cretin!” the ghost dweeb declared. He then rose his lanky arms into the air, opening his palms in some kind of release.

“Hiiiiyaaaaahhh!”

The hall was silent.

No rumbling. No jetting cracks in the ground. No structural damage of any kind.

Nothing happened.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Poindexter questioned himself. “I…I have no power here?!”

The hornet spun around and hit the ghostly dweeb with its abdomen, turning intangible before impact. Poindexter was sent through the wall and out of sight.

“Sidney!” Jazz and Dani cried in unison.

Then the atrocious creature zeroed in on Tucker, inching closer and closer and snapping its moist mandibles. When the computer geek yelled in utter panic, a blast of ecto-energy hit the hornet in the face, stunning it for a moment. Jazz and Tucker looked into the closet and found Dani Phantom crouched inside, wearing a fierce expression.

“Leave my friends alone, you glorified ant!”

The ghostly inspect launched a slimy black tongue at the heroine, who grabbed it and flew out of the closet, punching the hornet in one of its eyes. The creature screeched, and started to fold in on itself, causing Dani to let go of the tongue. The ghost girl cringed and shook her hand, as if to rid it of any residual wetness.

“Yuck.”

“Dani, look!” Jazz suggested, pointing to the mass of ectoplasm floating in the center of the hall. The young half ghost steeled herself, ready for another onslaught. Before her eyes, the green sphere twisted, bended, and warped into another shape---morphing into a great panther, one with sharp fangs and claws.

“You know, this is somehow better,” Tucker remarked.

“So, you can still fight? How interesting. I would have thought you’d be reduced at a sad, pathetic little wreck,” the panther jabbed, smirking.

The young heroine narrowed her eyes. “ **No one** attacks my friends. **Period** ,” she decreed sternly.

“Well, at least I won’t be bored,” he commented, rearing back into a pouncing position. He growled, and threw himself at the ghost girl. Dani flew forward and collided with the cat head on, keeping their grapple away from Tucker and Jazz. They summer salted in the air until hitting the lockers on the opposite wall, where the panther phased through it. The young heroine slid to the ground, holding her snout, as it had smashed into the lockers.

“I should have gone intangible too---idiot!”

“Dani! You alright?” Tucker inquired.

“Yeah, dandy,” she responded curtly, shaking her head to refocus. “Go find Poindexter, make sure he’s alright. Jazz---go look after Sam.”

“On it!” the computer geek proclaimed, running down the fork in the hall in the direction the ghostly dweeb was sent.

“But Dani, what about you? What did that ghost mean?”

“Forget about me! Just go help Sam!” she demanded. The ghost heroine turned intangible and sailed through the wall, leaving the redhead concerned and uneasy. Why did that ghost seem to know that Dani was upset? **How** did it know? Did it have something to do with it? Given Dani’s evasion, she couldn’t be sure. However, she would be slapped in rags and called a cleaning lady before she let this matter go uninvestigated. For the time being though, she had a task to see to. Running over to the incapacitated goth, Jazz reviewed all the correct resuscitation techniques, and once she reached his side, realized he was still breathing.

_Thank goodness!_

Her parents did always tell her she worried too much.

She cradled the boy’s head with her arm and let her spare drape at her side.

“Sam? Sam, are you O.K.?”

His eyes slowly opened, and within moments he was sitting up and rubbing the back of his head, feeling a huge bump.

“That’s gonna be sore in the morning,” he noted to himself. “What happened with the giant bug?”

“It changed into a panther and Dani went after it. Tucker is looking for Sidney.”

“Alright,” Sam started, rising, with Jazz following suit. “Go help Tucker, and I’ll go after Dani and the ghost.”

“But, shouldn’t I go after---”

“Jazz, this is serious business. You’ll just get in the way. Dani needs someone who’s helped her before.”

With that, the goth sprinted down the hall toward an exit door. Jazz, frowning, followed the boy with her eyes. Yes, it was indeed a good thing her sister had reliable friends, but couldn’t she have picked more **polite** ones? Letting out an annoyed sigh, the redhead raced after Tucker.

Dani cornered the ghostly panther outside in the courtyard; luckily 6th period still had 15 minutes left. She glared at her opponent as they circled one another, each of their focuses razor sharp. This creep had flicked away her friends like they were no better then flies, and threatened to hurt Tucker and Jazz. Such action would not go unpunished, she promised to herself, feeling her depression evaporate into rage.

Messing with her town was one thing.

Her loved ones? A completely different level.

“I have to ask, kid, how did you do it? How are you able to fight back? Spectra’s powers should have rendered you completely useless---without a **will** to fight back.”

“ **Spectra**?” the girl asked, flabbergasted.

“Oh, you didn’t figure it out? Well, that’s really no surprise. Your mind must have been lamenting over the one you love, and how pitiful **you** were for trying to reach his heart,” the cat said smugly.

“Hold up…you’re saying…you’re saying this whole time---these last two days---arguably the worst two days of my life---were all because of **Spectra**?!”

“Hey, look at that! Looks like you’re not as thirsty as I thought! Good for you.”

“ **What**?” she asked, danger evident in her tone.

The panther stopped circling the ghost girl, and instead opted to rear back once again.

“Well its to be expected. After all, you’re just a horny little slut, aren’t you?”

Dani’s eyes glowed with fury, displaying the fire that erupted inside her.

“Do. Not. Call. Me. A SLUT!!!”

She fired powerful beams of energy from her palms, baring her teeth in an almost primal ire. The panther attempted to dodge, but wasn’t quick enough---the rays collided with its otherworld form. It cried out in pain, mimicking the sound of a screeching banshee. After this, Dani was unyielding in her assaults; she kicked her opponent in the face, back, stomach, and landed crushing punches all over its body. She launched ecto-rays from her hands and legs (when she swung them in the air), and grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck, perforating it’s face. The entire form was reduced to sludge, and then slopped to the grass like spilled scrambled eggs.

Dani panted, recovering from using so much strength so quickly. But suddenly the ecto-sludge pooled together, causing the young heroine to jump back. With astonished eyes, she watched as the ghost reformed into a singular blob, its red eyes set near the top of its gelatinous head.

“Now, that was just rude,” the blob reprimanded.

“Save it,” the young half ghost said in irritation. “I’m not even close to being done.”

“Good, ‘cause neither am I.”

The ghost spat out huge globs of ecto-energy, which Dani realized were almost exactly like the mound of goo from Tuesday’s training. Adopting a smirk, she soared straight for them, warranting a bark from her advisory: “Ha! You **are** just as pitiful as I thought! Was all that before just talk?”

“I’m not lookin’ to be beaten, but I know one of us is going to be!”

At the last possible second, she turned intangible, flying right through the viscous projectiles. The ghost’s scarlet orbs went wide, suddenly fearing for his afterlife. But he wouldn’t have time for regrets, for Dani ran up on him and socked him so intensely he was dispersed once again---this time spreading all over the courtyard.

The young heroine pulled out the Fenton Thermos, and before her opponent could regenerate, she uncapped it, sucking his remains inside in a matter of seconds.

“Looks like you’re done to me, **Bertrand** ,” Dani concluded.

Then, off to the side, she heard the sound of clapping. Slow clapping. Whipping her head around, the young girl saw Spectra swaggering towards her---her shades sitting in front of her eyes.

“Very good! You’ve done so well. Makes me want to hug you,” she congratulated.

 Dani furrowed her brow. “Spectra.”

“I’m impressed that you figured out that was Bertrand. You only did see him twice, but the first time you were in a haze,” she stated with a grin.

“Please, it wasn’t exactly rocket science. When he mentioned you, it made perfect sense. And come on, a random ghost suddenly appearing who just so happened to know you by name? Even Dash could have figured that out.”

As she spoke, her ghost sense went off again, confirming another belief the teenager had formulated.

“And **you’re** the same as him; a ghost.”

“It’s much easier to tell without the thermostats turned down low, isn’t it?” Spectra asked mockingly.

“I knew I sensed a ghost the day I was suffering from “The Need”, but I was so out of it, I couldn’t remember! And **you** noticed; you knew I couldn’t tell which end of the shovel you’re supposed dig with, so you changed the thermostats in the Nurse’s Office **and** yours to throw me off.”

“And what? You’re expecting a medal?” the woman questioned, still grinning.

“It was you this whole time…you were the one who made me doubt myself---the one who nearly broke me down…and you’re the one responsible for everyone else’s misery!”

“It’s quite easy, really---teenagers are the best targets. So full of self-loathing, so overcome with insecurities; influencing them is child’s play.”

“But why? What do you gain by making everyone around you miserable?!”

“Humans need to consume food to stay alive. **I** feed off the misery and sorrow of humans to maintain **my** existence. Really, it’s no different from when you kill a boar and eat its flesh for sustenance,” Spectra explained matter-of-factly.

“It’s ENTIRELY different!” Dani shouted in rebuke.

“Well, it hardly matters now, ‘cause my cover is blown,” she stated as black mist snaked around her corporeal body. “And now I have to resort to drastic measures.”

“Bring it!” the young heroine egged on. “You can’t hurt me anymore!”

“We’ll see about that.”

Soon Spectra’s form transformed into a black specter, and without warning, shot toward Dani, grabbing her by the neck. Her mist drifted up her arms and wafted over the half ghost. It coiled around her chest and slithered down all the way to her feet. As she struggled, the heroine found that the mist merely tightened it’s hold.

“Let go of me!”

“No can do, kiddo,” Spectra discouraged. “When I’m done with you, you’ll be so sure that your ‘beloved’ despites you, and you’ll **wish** for me to **end** you.”

_For the last 48 hours, I’ve been so afraid that Vlad didn’t care about me. I was terrified that he thought nothing of me, and I actually started to believe it. I kept comparing myself to my mom, and felt worse and worse the more I believed what eveyone’s been saying about me since Monday. I know I’m not a slut, and I know Vlad cares about me---he’s proved that time and time again. I just let my own crippling doubts take over, but the truth is---_

“ _You’re not a child to me, and I don’t intend to treat you like one._ ”  

_\---he sees me as an equal, and I won’t let him down!_

Dani seized Spectra’s wrist, and forcibly threw her over her head, sending the ghostly tormentor into a tree. She slammed face first into the truck, only to push herself away and look back at the young heroine, glaring daggers. She bore her fangs (which Dani noticed she had when she smiled earlier) and threw herself at the teenager, who pulled the Fenton Thermos back out in response. She was about to uncap it when Spectra slapped it out of her hand, and whacked Dani in the face with her tail. The half ghost cried out, and was caught once again in her foe’s clutches. Spectra channeled more dark energy from herself and onto the young heroine, inciting a yelp from the latter. As the ghostly terror bellowed in sick satisfaction, the ghost girl was bombarded with images of Vlad and Maddie together---embracing laughing, even **kissing**. Anger and grief muddled together as she tried to maintain her current awareness, to not be overwrought with jealously and despair. Despite herself, or maybe **because** of her inner turmoil, Dani started to cry; tears rolled down her face almost overwhelmingly. However, she still managed a severe scowl aimed at her captor.

“Still trying to fight back, are we? Well, not for much longer. Soon, you’ll be wallowing in despair, void of all self-confidence, and the one you love with only see you as a contemptable shell!” Spectra declared triumphantly.

“Hey doc!” a male voice called.  

Both Dani and Spectra glanced over to the doors, confusion written in their features. Standing just beyond the threshold was Jazz, Tucker Sidney, and Sam; Fenton Thermos in hand. 

“We think Dani needs a second opinion,” the goth continued, uncapping the Thermos. The translucent blue funnel shot from the canaster, pulling at Spectra’s ghostly form. She cried out in rebuke, but none the less she was drawn to the Thermos, her body stretching like taffy. At the last second, the ghost girl turned intangible, thus slipping away from Spectra’s grasp. The ghostly tormentor yelled, but as quickly as she voiced her disdain, she was sucked into the Fenton Thermos, ending it all.

Dani hit the ground on her hands and knees, and all four of her comrades raced over.

“Holy Sega, Dani! You O.K., girl?” Tucker asked.

“Did she hurt you? Are you harmed anywhere?” Jazz inquired.

“Will you be alright?” Poindexter questioned in worry.

“Guys, give her some air,” Sam scolded.

The half ghost looked up at them, those faces that held such concern for her. These people cared so much about her, fretted over her so much, she wondered how they had room in their hearts for themselves. Each of their eyes conveyed the same message, and the message was blatantly clear.

Dani wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry everyone. I’m sorry I was so cold to you earlier.”

“Don’t think about that too much. You weren’t yourself!” Poindexter stated.

“He’s right, Dani. We knew something was wrong, and we don’t blame you at all for how you acted,” Jazz stated.

“Heck, I would have been much worse,” Tucker confessed.

The younger half ghost eyed her friend. “What do you mean?”

“Sidney explained everything,” the computer geek began. “He told us that Spectra was a ghost all along, one who feeds off the emotional pain of others. Even in the Ghost Zone, she’s the lowest of the low.”

Then the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Suddenly, the party of five heard the enthusiastic voices of Casper High’s student body, which had been sorely missed all day long.

“It looks like everyone’s back to normal,” Sam observed.

“When you sucked her in the Thermos, her influence over the school must have been cut off,” Jazz surmised.

“And not a moment too soon,” Tucker said while putting her hands behind her head. “I was getting tired of all the Debbie Downers.”

Dani nodded, a bright smile plastered on her youthful face. She then hovered in the air, brimming with optimism.

“Well I gotta go. See you guys later!”

“Wait, where’re you going?” Jazz asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Have Sam and Tucker explain it to you!” the ghost girl called as she rocketed into the blue sky and sailed away from view.

The inquisitive older teen eyeballed the friends in question expectedly.

“I guess since you’re in the know about ghosts,” Sam started, handing her the Fenton Thermos. “It’s only fair to tell you.”

“Tell me what? Where’s she going?”

“Dani’s got a thing,” Tucker enlightened, offering a smile.

“‘A thing’?” the redhead repeated, anticipation wielding up inside.

“Yup. ‘A thing’.”     


End file.
